LISBON — Columbiana County commissioners declared May as Foster Care Month and learned that May is also Fraud Awareness Month, with both recognized by the county Department of Job and Family Services.

According to the proclamation approved by commissioners and read by DJFS Director Rachel Ketterman, “dedicated and diverse kinship and foster families provide lifelong love and support for children to increase positive outcomes for them and ensure that their voices are heard.”

In Columbiana County last year, 91 children and youth were in foster care and 106 children lived with kinship caregivers or family members. The county has 21 certified foster families “committed to providing temporary homes for children who cannot safely remain with their primary families.”

This year’s national theme is “Strengthening Minds, Uplifting Families.”

The proclamation also said that “both caregivers and caring professionals throughout Columbiana County help prepare older youth in care for the transition to independence and self-sufficiency so they can achieve their educational and employment goals and reach their highest potential.”

On the fraud side, Ketterman shared some figures from the fraud/benefit recovery unit, with two people working on fraud full time in the agency. For 2025, 421 referrals were received, 3,883 new claims were opened and there were 27 intentional program violations. The average caseload per month was 323 recovery claim cases. There were five case referred to the prosecutor and four convicted cases. The total benefit recovery collections was $89,419.

In other DJFS business, commissioners approved a contract with Speak Write, LLC for transcription software services from June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027 with a spending ceiling of $9,950 and an amendment to the county Juvenile Court diversion contract, increasing the unit rate for the current contract to $36.43 per hour from $31.68 per hour. The contract expires Sept. 30.

The commissioners authorized the signing of a consent letter with the jail operator Correctional Solutions Group LLC for reentry use of the minimum security portion of the jail via Eclectic Reentry Services LLC. Commissioner Mike Halleck explained the services will pertain to inmates who have work release and come back to the jail after their shift. As part of the deal, the county will receive $6 per day per inmate in the MSJ from CSG. Halleck said he’s expecting the county to recoup $80,000 to $100,000 per year that will then be used for improvements at the jail and sheriff’s office.

The commissioners also authorized the county engineer to advertise for bids for the line striping program, authorized the board president to act in connection with the Fiscal Year 26 Community Development Block Grant program and approved the county Port Authority for administrative services for the CDBG Fiscal Year 26 program.

The commissioners will meet again at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the downtown courthouse.